There is described in our earlier European Patent Specification (Publication No. 0 059 602) a cutting tool assembly for use in parting and/or grooving wherein the cutting insert is formed with a wedge-shaped body portion which is designed to be inserted into, and frictionally retained within, a corresponding wedge-shaped slot formed in the tool holder. Such a cutting tool assembly will hereinafter be referred to as a cutting tool assembly of the kind specified. Our European Patent Specification proceeds to consider the problem which may arise with cutting tool assemblies of the kind specified, wherein the precise positioning of the cutting edge formed on the cutting insert depends, to a large degree, on the degree of insertion of the cutting insert into the slot.
Furthermore, out earlier European Patent Specification considers the problem which may arise where the insert is forced into the slot with extreme force, thereby giving rise to the tendency of the tool holder to fracture. In order to overcome or minimise these problems, our earlier European Patent Specification proposes providing the insert, in a region adjacent to its cutting edge, with an abutment shoulder, which shoulder will abut a corresponding end portion of the tool holder. In this way the degree of insertion of the cutting insert into the tool holder is limited (thus avoiding the dangers of fracture of the tool holder) and alos ensuring that the degree of insertion of the insert into the tool holder remains constant, this resulting in a constant positioning of the cutting edge.
It has been found in practice that with cutting tool assemblies of the kind specified, provided with such limiting abutment shoulders, the regions of the wedge-shaped body portion of cutting insert which are frictionally held by the tapering surfaces of the wedge-shaped slot in the tool holder, are to a large extent dependent on the relative production tolerances of the cutting insert, on the one hand, and the tool holder, on the other hand and by the combination thereof. Situations arise in practice wherein the insert may be held in the tool holder at one or other localised extremity thereof, thereby giving rise to unstable retention of the insert within the tool holder when the insert is subjected to cutting forces. This is especially the case when multi-directional inserts are employed for lateral turning with the consequent subjection of the inserts to side cutting forces.